Grimoire Tales

i.

Hast her light shine upon thy soul,

Protect thou from the evil force;

Of the Heart's darkest ploys,

Luna will light the chosen's path.

That is the statement my grandma has told me countless times throughout this trip. We've been traveling since morning just to reach our destination on time and to carry out our mission, but the trip has already worn us out and we're not even there yet. Thankfully, my grandma decided that we should take a break when we arrived at the borders of the enchanted forest with enough time to spare for a quick dinner.

"Grandma, is there by any chance that I can somewhat make you change your mind about embarking on this mission in a god-forsaken forest?" I asked after I gulp down the remaining water in my flask. Her lamb chop, blueberry pie, and a small piece of bread always make the dinner special like no other.

"By Celestials, la nieta, will you refrain from using that condescending tone in this sacred place?" she reprimands as she looks at her pocket watch.

"A forest filled with dark magic and unknown creatures roaming inside it? I'm pretty sure that a sacred and dangerous place like this one already implies not trespassing and just minding my own business instead."

"Only if you show your true intentions, then you are not trespassing at all," she retorts and starts putting our utensils inside my backpack that I had carried throughout the trip. As I'm trying to comprehend what the heck she is saying, she takes the chance of flicking my forehead and proceeds towards the basket that she carried.

"Ow! What was that for?" I exclaim and give her a glare.

"Indeed, you are a stubborn little girl," she chuckles as she checks the contents inside the basket. "You remind me so much of your mum back in the old days. Always calculating the risks and had a sassy attitude that brewed more quarrels than her potions in her Advanced classes."

I fall silent as I start to put my backpack on my shoulders. My grandma and my mother have been known as the astounding casters in our clan in their generation. Of course, everyone else expects me to follow in their footsteps. That's the society for you.

"This will keep us safe." I snap out of reverie when she carefully props up the silk-woven cloth on top of the basket made with young bamboo culms being split and woven precisely. I don't know how she can persuade a deity of a sort with a bottle of wine being fermented for a year, a roasted lamb chop, and a jar filled with seven blue butterflies that are dead. However, she seems confident enough that this mission will proceed as planned. Well, her plan, that is.

"La nieta, everything will be alright. So as long as you heed my words and keep in touch with our plan, it will be fine." She clasps both of my cold hands and I feel a warmth from her touch. Well, I literally feel her hands around mine getting warmer. "Besides if there is one thing I know that is forbidden in these woods, it's the outsiders conjuring magic."

I scoff. "You mean, our magic." I move my hands away from hers. I can still feel a tingling sensation from her magic. Although I appreciate her risking her life right now just by keeping my hands warm using a spell, that doesn't totally make me feel better. We're about to venture inside a 100-hectare enchanted forest filled with Etherials and who-knows-what.

"Always remember," she adds as she stares at the darkness behind the twisty trees. "This forest exists with the looming curiosity of every being that wanders around the vicinity. It draws you because its power clings to one's desire to know what is inside it."